Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation

This is a discussion on Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation within Street Experiences, part of the Buckle Up category; Originally Posted by rohanak1
From KR puram station junction all the way till tin factory bus stop, the way to ...

From KR puram station junction all the way till tin factory bus stop, the way to avoid traffic is to be on the left of the road.

This is what I usually do, but, there are days when staying on the extreme left is just as bad and it is because of illegally parked vehicles. You see a illegally parked vehicle in your way, you prepare yourself to swerve to the right to get past the vehicle, the driver of the Tempo Traveller or Cab beside or behind is hell bent on you being stuck there and wants to make it difficult. You've come to a stop, the little gap you've kept on the left makes it a point for another unruly driver to poke his nose and to some how squeeze between the parked vehicle and you.

No matter which lane you are in, you have to keep a close watch on your mirrors on who or what it is trying to get ahead of you. Some are careful, most are not. As you know, tailgating is common and the biggest worry. I have to admit that I am forced to do it myself, most of the time cause of the impatient driver behind. This is the stretch I fear the most during my commute and this applies even when you head the other way too.

Is Prestige Tech Park turning in to another Ecospace ? Yesterday at 6:40 PM, the jam at the rear gate started from inside the campus itself. By the time I crossed Kadubeesanahalli bridge on ORR, it was almost 8 PM. 1 hour 20 mins gone.

Exiting via front gate and going all the way to ISRO on ORR to take U-turn would have been faster, maybe.

Is Prestige Tech Park turning in to another Ecospace ? Yesterday at 6:40 PM, the jam at the rear gate started from inside the campus itself. By the time I crossed Kadubeesanahalli bridge on ORR, it was almost 8 PM. 1 hour 20 mins gone.

Exiting via front gate and going all the way to ISRO on ORR to take U-turn would have been faster, maybe.

Knowingly or Unknowingly the tech parks are the major source of traffic jams in the city due to the sheer no. of employees, lack of proper exits, location of all these tech parks is pretty close to each other.
If all these aspects had been addressed at the time of building the tech parks, the city would not have witnessed the jams as we see almost everyday

On-Road behavior in the city only keeps getting worse. Incidentally, there were few posts recently on cops and drivers losing cool:

Quote:

'Unruly' bus driver throws chappal at home guard

A Home Guard who was manning traffic was assaulted by a KSRTC bus driver in full public view at Jalahalli Cross in the City on Tuesday afternoon.

Naresh, a 2012 batch Home Guard attached to the Peenya traffic police station, was hit with a chappal, assaulted and humiliated after he asked the driver to move the bus which was blocking traffic.

Naresh noticed the bus (Bengaluru-Hassan), which was heading towards Tumakuru Road, parked on the service road near Jalahalli Cross. A traffic policeman who was present at the spot thought that the driver would move. But even after the signal turned green several times, the bus did not move, causing a traffic congestion, police said.

The Home Guard approached the driver and asked him to move. The driver got furious and asked him to mind his business. Naresh took a small stick, tapped the rear end of the bus and asked the driver to move. The driver got agitated, got down from the bus, hit Naresh with a chappal and assaulted him. Naresh, who tried to defend himself, also hit the driver, police said. The traffic constable said that the driver did not move even though the signal had turned green. Many KSRTC drivers and conductors gathered at the spot in support of the driver who hit Naresh. The driver fled the scene along with the bus, the constable said.

Naresh told Deccan Herald, I was doing my duty by asking the driver to move the bus, because it was obstructing traffic. But, he hit me and I also hit him, trying to defend myself. It was not right on his part to humiliate me by hitting me with a chappal.

A senior police officer said, As of now, the Home Guard has not approached us. If he gives us a complaint, we will take action against the driver. Members of the public told the police that the Home Guard was only doing his duty and it was not right on the part of the driver to assault him.

KSRTC officials said that they would look into the matter and summon the driver.

On-Road behavior in the city only keeps getting worse. Incidentally, there were few posts recently on cops and drivers losing cool:

Sad :(. There are multiple issues I see here, and others can correct me if I am wrong.
1. The home guards I see in Bangalore do not seem to be physically very fit, and nor do they look very "police like". Yes, they are more like daily wage workers, who get a paltry sum as wage every day. So with such work conditions, any one who can find another job avenue would go there.
2. Their uniforms are distinct from the police officers, and generally do not seem to be well maintained. Perhaps the poor wages these folks get, makes the dress maintenance too costly. Any security/safety officer with a poor "turn out" does not give a good impression of authority & respect.
3. The entire world knows that home guards do not have any major policing powers. And in many cases, these poor folks also do not have any communication equipment (like the walkie talkie) to summon help if they are attacked. They are sitting ducks.

KL has a system of Home Guards, which seems to be better poised for the job they do. The differences:-
1. The Home Guards are all ex-servicemen. Most of them would have put in at least 15 years of military service, which shows in their physique and bearing. So if push comes to shove, many of these folks can give a fight back.
2. The uniform of the Home Guards are very very similar to the ones worn by the Kerala Armed Police (K.A.P) constables. So much so that say from a distance of 20 feet, no one can make out if the officer ahead is a Home Guard or a regular policeman. The blue peak cap, the khakhi shirts and pants, white belt and regulation boots all are similar. Only difference being the cap badge, the shoulder badge and the belt badge (which no one generally focus on).
3. There seems to be a very clear message from the top that Home Guards should be given adequate help and support, and cannot be treated as a daily wage labourer by rest of the force. In very many towns and cities they do regulate traffic, and have been given the same wireless sets with the local police channels all configured correctly. Patrols and beats etc. also are staffed with policemen and home guards, and they have to work together. It is more like the public need not bother who is enforcing the law, but just keep going.

Sad :(. There are multiple issues I see here, and others can correct me if I am wrong.
1. The home guards I see in Bangalore do not seem to be physically very fit, and nor do they look very "police like". Yes, they are more like daily wage workers, who get a paltry sum as wage every day. So with such work conditions, any one who can find another job avenue would go there.
2. Their uniforms are distinct from the police officers, and generally do not seem to be well maintained. Perhaps the poor wages these folks get, makes the dress maintenance too costly. Any security/safety officer with a poor "turn out" does not give a good impression of authority & respect.
3. The entire world knows that home guards do not have any major policing powers. And in many cases, these poor folks also do not have any communication equipment (like the walkie talkie) to summon help if they are attacked. They are sitting ducks.

with the points mentioned. Exactly similar state of affairs in my hometown Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Yesterday(10th Feb) a drive from Namdhari's (80ft rd. Koramangala) to home in Hoodi took 2 hours. Started around 7pm and reached home only at 9pm. Probably I choose the wrong route. Took inner ring road -> airport road -> doddanekkundi road to ISRO junction on ORR (major jam: took 45 minutes for some 400m) -> Whitefield main road. Probably going through Indiranagar and old madras road would have been quicker. But radio said that there was slow moving traffic on old madras road

The Railway Crossing on the Chinnapanahalli Main Road (after ISRO U Turn) has become a breeze due to few voluntaries directing the traffic. I cross the railway gate everyday at around 10:30 AM and have been surprised by the discipline the people are showing.

They have been there this whole week and not sure how long these voluntaries will contribute, but I can't thank them enough for saving 20 mins of my drive time.

Regards

Last edited by chandrda : 11th February 2016 at 12:08.
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